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I used to sell laptop (notebook) computers for a living, and I learned a fair bit about the various brands. There are a few things to consider before buying a notebook. I always asked the same two questions when someone came into the store: What do you need your machine to do, and how much do you want to spend?

General Considerations:

First of all, battery life is incredibly important. If you're a free spirit who wants to go out in nature and write the next great novel, do yourself a favor and get a 12- or 16-cell extended-life battery. Most notebooks will run forever on the show-room floor, but when you start using that graphics card or burning CD's, your run-time decreases quickly. Expect to have 2 or 3 hours max on a regular battery with normal use. After that, save regularly or sit close to an electrical outlet.

Burners are automatically included in most newer machines these days, but beware: if you want a DVD burner, make sure the specs say "DVD-RW". If it says "DVD/CD-RW Combo" you're getting a DVD player with a CD burner. That's a big difference. And believe me, you want a DVD burner. Not just for all those movies I'm sure you'd never download, but for simple backup purposes. Hard drives on laptops are generally half the size of their Desktop counterparts, and they fill up quickly. DVD burners offer a quick way to back up those crucial files.

There are two tiers of notebooks. Tier 1 machines are generally high-end, durable machines. Tier 2 machines give you the same technologies and the same bells and whistles, but at a lower cost. Why? Because they're not built as well and use cheaper parts, so they break down faster.

If you want all the bells and whistles for a lower price, and you're OK with buying a new notebook every couple of years, then buy a Tier 2 machine. If you have a little extra cash and want something that will last you a long time, go with Tier 1.

Brands:

GE - General Electric makes the Rolls Royce of notebooks. Why don't most people even know that GE makes notebooks? Because you have to drive a Rolls to afford a GE notebook. Still, they're sweet machines and have arguably the best warranty and customer service in the business.

TOSHIBA - makes some very solid Tier 1 computers. The Satellites (the old A10's and A15's in particular) were very sturdy and reliable. I sold Toshiba most often to students who needed a decent machine at a decent price, and (here's a twist) oil-rig workers. Why? Because you can drop those suckers off the back of your pickup

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